Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of sound design and production. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition.

You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.

Name: Adam Crittenden RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link)

DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?

SOUND DESIGN METHODOLOGY

Foley Artistry Foley artists recreate the realistic ambient sounds that the game portrays. The props and sets of a game do not react the same way acoustically as their real life counterparts. Foley sounds are used to enhance the auditory experience of the game.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foley_%28filmmaking%29

Foley artists edit the sounds that they are trying to recreate so that they sound like what they would in real life e.g. a tree rustling in the wind, they would try to recreate the sounds with things that they have.

Sound Libraries A collection of sounds stored on file (for example on CDs, DVDs, or as digital audio files)http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sound-library

Sound libraries hold sound on media devices, or just in digital files.

SOUND FILE FORMATS Uncompressed Uncompressed audio files are the most accurate digital representation of a sound wave, but can also be the most resource-intensive method of recording and storing digital audio, both in terms of storage and management. Their accuracy makes them suitable for archiving and delivering audio at high resolution, and working with audio at a professional level, and they are the 'master' audio format of choice.http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/uncompressed-audio-file-formats

Uncompressed audio files are used when you want the best quality of sound and also, if it is of environmental sounds, the most realistic as it contains everything, whereas a compressed file squeezes down the file, missing bits out.

.wav A waveform audio file, also known as a wave file, or simply WAV after its extension, is a common type of sound file. Microsoft and IBM introduced the format in 1991 for use in the Microsoft Windows 3.1 operating system (OS). Long before digital audio became a staple, computer users were exposed to the WAV file as an embedded sound file that played a chime-like sound at boot up of the Windows operating system.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-wav-file.htm

Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename extension) (rarely, Audio for Windows) is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

.aiff AIFF is short for Audio Interchange File Format, which is an audio format initially created by Apple Computer for storing and transmitting high-quality sampled audio data.http://www.abyssmedia.com/formats/aiff-format.shtml

An aiff sound file is mainly used by Apple for high quality sound.

.au AU is a file extension for a sound file format belonging to Sun, NeXT and DEC and used in UNIX. The AU file format is also known as the Sparc-audio or u-law format.

AU files contain three parts: the audio data and text for a header (containing 24 bytes) and an annotation block.http://whatis.techtarget.com/fileformat/AU-Sun-NeXT-DEC-UNIX-sound-file

AU files are audio files that also contain a header and an annotation block, which wouldn’t be visible on a normal audio player.

.smp The file extension ".smp" shows up on several different types of files used for very different programs including audio files, images and email messages. You can usually figure out what type of ".smp" file you're dealing with based on the context, such as the file name, where it's saved or what types of programs you have on your computer that use ".smp" files.http://www.ehow.com/info_12198596_file-smp.html

An SMP file can be used for multiple different types of files, such as audio, images and also e-mails. And many more as well.

Lossy Compression Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost. Lossy compression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessary information. Most video compression technologies, such as MPEG, use a lossy technique.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/lossy_compression.html

Lossy compression is where a file is made smaller by taking out “unnecessary things”, or what the computer calls unnecessary.

.mp3 MPEG (The Moving Picture Experts Group) has developed compression systems used for video data. For example, DVD movies, HDTV broadcasts and DSS satellite systems use MPEG compression to fit video and movie data into smaller spaces. The MPEG compression system includes a subsystem to compress sound, called MPEG Audio Layer-3. We know it by its abbreviation, MP3.http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question118.htm

An MP3 is the most common for most people as it is used on multiple different things such as DVD@s and also, computer audio or audio people have on devices such as phones and other portable things.

AUDIO LIMITATIONS Sound Processor Unit (SPU) Also called a "sound board" or "audio adapter," it is a plug-in card that records and plays back sound. Supporting both digital audio and MIDI, sound cards provide an input port for a microphone or other sound source and output ports to speakers and amplifiers.http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Audio+processing+unit

An SPU is used to record and play back the recorded sound. It can house microphones, speakers or other sound transmitting equipment.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Digital Sound Processor (DSP) A Digital Signal Processor, or DSP, is a specialized microprocessor that has an architecture which is optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing. A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) can process data in real time, making it ideal for applications that can’t tolerate delays. Digital signal processors take a digital signal and process it to improve the signal into clearer sound, faster data or sharper images.http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/microprocessors/digital-signal-processors.aspx

A DSP is something that can process data in real time, which is great for things that you want to use without delays.

Random Access Memory (RAM) RAM (pronounced ramm) is an acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html

RAM is the most commonly used type o memory as you can just grab any bit of memory that you want without interfering with other bits of memory.

Mono Audio Mono Audio. When you're using headphones, you may miss some audio if you're deaf or hard of hearing in one ear. That's because stereo recordings usually have distinct left- and right-channel audio tracks.https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/

Mono Audio is the type of audio that lets you hear in each ear what Is set to go into each ear.

Stereo Audio Audio stereo means sound which is divided into two separate channels. These two channels are played back simultaneously via separate speakers. The effect is to create a fuller sound, and provide the ability to mix certain sounds between channels.http://www.mediacollege.com/glossary/s/stereo.html

Stereo Audio is able to send back and forth the sounds that they have a better feeling when you wear a headset as there is more depth.

Surround Sound Surround sound is a term used to describe a type of audio output in which the sound appears to "surround the listener" by 360 degrees. Surround sound systems use three or more channels and speakers in front and behind the listener to create a surrounding envelope of sound and directional audio sources.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surround_sound.html

Surround sound is generally used with speakers placed around a room that would normally be used for watching a film as it gives better immersion.

Direct Audio (Pulse Code Modulation – PCM)

Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog signal that takes samples of the amplitude of the analog signal at regular intervals. The sampled analogue data is changed to, and then represented by, binary data. PCM requires a very accurate clock. The number of samples per second, ranging from 8,000 to 192,000, is usually several times the maximum frequency of the analogue waveform in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second, which ranges from 8 to 192 KHz.

Pulse Code Modulation is a pulse modulation technique in which the amplitude of an analogue signal is converted to a binary value represented as a series of pulses.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24128/pulse-code-modulation-pcm

AUDIO RECORDING SYSTEMS

Analogue Analog (or analogue) recording (Greek, and is "according to" and logos "relationship") is a technique used for the recording of analogue signals which, among many possibilities, analogue audio and analogue video for later playback.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_recording

Analog helps to get better playback from audio and video so they are a lot better quality.

Digital Mini Disc There are several standard music distribution formats. The MP3 and the compact disc (CD) are the two most common at the moment, but cassette tapes are still around and 33 rpm vinyl LPs can still be found in some stores. The Sony MiniDisc is another format that Sony has been trying to popularize for many years. A MiniDisc looks a lot like a floppy disk but is slightly smaller (7 cm, 2.75 inches square).http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question55.htm

A minidisc is a piece of software that can contain lots of audio and other things, such as videos, it is a compact way of storing it.

Compact Disc (CD) A compact disc [sometimes spelled disk] (CD) is a small, portable, round medium made of molded polymer (close in size to the floppy disk) for electronically recording, storing, and playing back audio, video, text, and other information in digital form.http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/compact-disc

A CD is a portable storage device that is capable of storing a lot of things on it in a relatively small space.

Digital Audio Tape (DAT) DAT (Digital Audio Tape) is a standard medium and technology for the digital recording of audio on tape at a professional level of quality. A DAT drive is a digital tape recorder with rotating heads similar to those found in a video deck. Most DAT drives can record at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, the CD audio standard, and 48 kHz. DAT has become the standard archiving technology in professional and semi-professional recording environments for master recordings.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/DAT-Digital-Audio-Tape

DAT audio types are mainly used by professional audio recorders as they are the standard archiving technology.

MIDI MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. The development of the MIDI system has been a major catalyst in the recent unprecedented explosion of music technology. MIDI has put powerful computer instrument networks and software in the hands of less technically versed musicians and amateurs and has provided new and time-saving tools for computer musicians.http://www.indiana.edu/~emusic/etext/MIDI/chapter3_MIDI.shtml

MIDI instruments can be sued to produce sound, by the means of both hardware and software. It is the main go to tool of computer musicians.

Software Sequencers In software engineering, a system sequence diagram (SSD) is a An ssd shows the events of actors. If they

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

sequence diagram that shows, for a particular scenario of a use case, the events that external actors generate, their order, and possible inter-system events. OverviewSystem sequence diagrams are visual summaries of the individual use cases.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_sequence_diagram

are doing something in an external aspect.

Software Plug-ins Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of your Web browser. Initially, the Netscape browser allowed you to download, install, and define supplementary programs that played sound or motion video or performed other functions. These were called helper applications.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/plug-in

Plug-ins are installed installed things you need to use to do a lot of things on the internet. Like

MIDI Keyboard Instruments Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, MIDI is a standard for digitally representing and transmitting sounds that was first developed in the 1980s. The MIDI sound is played back through the hardware device or computer either through a synthesized audio sound or a waveform stored on the hardware device or computer. The quality of how MIDI sounds when played back by the hardware device or computer depends upon that device's capability.http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/midi.htm

We have used MIDI keyboard instruments in Reaper to make little, new sound clips. We used many different effects to get some good sounding things.

AUDIO SAMPLING File Size Constraints - Bit-depth it depth is the number of bits used to carry the data in each sample of audio. The bit depth chosen for recording limits the dynamic range of the recording. (Other factors in the audio chain may also limit this, so more bits often will not produce a better recording.)http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Bit_Depth

File Size Constraints - Sample Rate

In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave (a continuous signal) to a sequence of samples (a discrete-time signal).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_%28signal_processing%29

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